Reading’s Climate Emergency Strategy includes a target to reduce its carbon emissions to reach net zero by 2030. That doesn’t just refer to the council but to the town as a whole. If we’re going to achieve that target, businesses will need to play their part.

This event brings together a panel of expert speakers to consider how Reading businesses might rethink the way they approach resources and waste. Could moving away from the traditional linear approach and towards the circular help us meet or exceed the carbon reduction target? And what other benefits might there be?

Gurprit Singh, the director who oversees Ethical Reading’s sustainability programme, will be hosting and there will be opportunities to ask questions of the panel.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Akhil Handa

Akhil Handa is the Founder and CEO of EARTH 51, an organisation born to help business leaders embrace sustainability and create purpose led organisations. EARTH 51 sees its role as influencing positive change through creating better businesses for a better world. As a signatory member of the United Nations Global Compact, EARTH 51 focusses its efforts on accelerating Tech 4 Good, women in STEM, gender equality & on building a climate positive business ecosystem.

Dr. Vivek Tandon

Dr. Vivek Tandon has a strong interest in the environment and social sustainability and is currently the founder of and CEO of perPETual Technologies, a revolutionary PET bottle recycling company. In addition, he is also a director of EnvironCOM (UK’s largest WEEE Recycler) and has held several directorships in the past including Director of Greenko Group (a Renewable Energy company in India), Vice Chairman Allied Technology Group (a diverse technology company in the field of wastewater treatment and waste to energy plants) and Recupyl (a battery recycling company).

Erica Purvis

Erica Purvis, is an eco-designer, engineer and business strategy maker, inspired by nature and focused on sustainability, the circular economy, wellbeing and system change, facilitating and enabling organisations and people to creatively innovate for a flourishing world. She runs Technical Nature, an independent (Re)design Studio, “Cultivating Considered Design and Tech for Life”. Here she has worked with global manufacturers to start-ups, inspiring and enabling them to rethink and redesign their products and business models. Alongside this, she works with schools and young people on STEAM and entrepreneurial activities and skills for sustainable action learning and co-leads the Reading branch of the global Circular Economy Club. She also co-founded the Open Source Circular Economy days, is a member of the Right to Repair, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

Peter Moore

Peter Moore has been Head of Climate Strategy at Reading Borough Council since November 2019. He has previously worked for two other local authorities (in Dorset and Kent), as a Director of two national environmental charities (Butterfly Conservation and the Campaign to Protect Rural England), and as a director of a public affairs consultancy.

Joe Iles

Joe Iles' role is to help deliver leading commentary design, business, economics, cities, food and society, through the lens of a circular economy. He is the Editor in Chief of Circulate, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's source for insight on the circular economy. Part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation team since 2011, Joe also helped design and create the Disruptive Innovation Festival, an online festival of ideas which invites thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, businesses, makers and learners to explore the changing economy and their role in it. As part of the Editorial Team, Joe writes and curates entries into the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy case study library, sharing success stories from businesses embedding the principles of regeneration and restoration into their operations.